The Coast News, July 13, 2012

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OPINION &EDITORIAL A4 JULY 13, 2012 Idea for park funding isn’t right ANDREW AUDET Life, Liberty and Leadership In the State of the City address given earlier this year, Encinitas Mayor Jerome Stocks said Encinitas was in great financial shape. If that’s true, why is the city proposing to raid the Capital improvement Funds and increase public debt to build the Hall Park? The city is struggling to find money to build the Hall Park and improve Moonlight Beach. Rather than pursue what I believe is a responsible “pay as you go” approach, the council is considering taking a risky financing plan that would link the two projects, and that could place the city in a precarious financial position. When I wrote one year ago that the city did not have the money to build Hall Park and that the council needed a taxpayer bailout to cover up for their fiscal failures Mayor Stocks wrote an editorial in The Coast News claiming the city’s finances “can’t be judged by the status of any one project,” and suggested that selling the park’s naming rights might magically produce funding. We can learn a lot by judging the Hall Park mismanagement to see how one project’s failure affects the entire city. In 2001 the council committed $46 million to acquire the land and then let it sit vacant. In 2008 the park was going to cost $36 million to build, but because of poor planning the budget was reduced. Again, in 2008 the city said it had $9 million saved, but we now learn the city only has $7.8 million. I guess the market for selling the parks naming rights is not good. There seemed to be light at the end of the tunnel a few months ago when the city requested bid packages for phase-one. This “pay as you go” approach would allow the city to begin park construction without endangering the overall fiscal health of the city. Now the city is considering a “take, borrow and spend” approach to the tune of about $15 million. To me, this approach makes the light at the end of the tunnel appear to be more like an approaching train of debt. The new proposed Hall Park cost is $19.3 million. Under the borrow approach, the city would take nearly $7 million away from15 other capital improvement funds. The move would strip bare the money set aside for important city improvements like sewers, roads, trails and open space. Even then it’s not enough money. The city would also propose to borrow $8 million. If the city uses lease revenue bonds, the council can conveniently avoid a public vote on the issue. Projects financed by lease revenue bonds are supposed to generate a revenue stream, but it’s questionable the park would qualify. In fact, it will cost money to operate. Where would the money to pay for the bond come from? How would we replenish the accounts being raided? The city could consider General Obligation bonds that would require a vote of the people. The advantages of these types of bonds are that they carry lower interest rates. Because they are voter approved it means that you and I could determine the amount of debt we’d leave to our families. This would take the power away from the council and put it in the hands of the public. “Pay as you go” isn’t sexy but it’s responsible. The “take, borrow and spend” approach is a public confession of what residents have long claimed — that the city doesn’t have the money to build the park, and the city councils of the past decade have squandered our resources. It looks to me like the Hall Park chickens of mismanagement are coming home to roost. Views expressed in Opinion & Editorial do not necessarily reflect the views of The Coast News. By Gene Lyons In a sane climate, Mitt Romney would be running for president on his one big success as a politician: achieving something close to universal private health insurance coverage as governor of Massachusetts. Romneycare cut costs, improved health care outcomes and is quite popular there. Alas, President Obama’s election has driven many Republicans so crazy that the putative nominee makes an unconvincing show of despising his own brainchild. Has there ever been a more unconvincing faker in American politics? Romney acts as if he thinks voters are morons. But then, right-wing hysteria over the Supreme Court’s upholding “Obamacare” shows he could be correct. Mandating health insurance wasn’t Romney’s own idea. The conservative Heritage Foundation saw it as a way to realize the practical and moral benefits of a socialized, government-run health care system like Canada’s through private, for-profit insurance companies — the best of both worlds. In the July 6 Coast News, Bianca Kaplaneck shares, “Improvements begin on the 101.” Good news for Solana Beach residents, commuters and tourists! “Project goals include maintaining the existing building scale, slowing traffic and creating more pedestrian-friendly corridor.” How wonderful if Leucadia could also begin groundbreaking for our streetscape project. The article also states: “At one time the project called for roundabouts and reverse-angle parking but those options were omitted following public and cost concerns.” Unfortunately, in Encinitas, Council has turned a deaf ear to public concerns expressed by nearly a two thirds majority of residents who filled out surveys taken at City Hall, who do NOT favor five roundabouts in approximately two miles, and who do NOT favor a “lane diet,” so that a northbound lane will be eliminated on Historic Highway North 101, beginning at North Court. At the very first workshop, at the Community Center, the most “dots” were THE COAST NEWS Understanding health care law is public responsibility Romney even wrote a 2009 USA Today column advising President Obama about the mandate’s advantages: “Using tax penalties, as we did [in Massachusetts], or tax credits, as others have proposed,” he wrote, “encourages ‘free riders’ to take responsibility for themselves rather than pass their medical costs on to others.” The president put it this way in reacting to the Supreme Court’s validating Obamacare: “People who can afford to buy health insurance should take the responsibility to do so.” So is it a tax, or is it a penalty? The correct answer is “who cares?” Provide your family with the security of a decent health insurance policy and you don’t need to pay it. Tyranny? Oh, grow up. The government can already make you sign up for Social Security, educate your children, vaccinate your dog, send you to fight a war in Afghanistan, limit how many fish you can LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Letters to the Editor and reader feedback are welcome. Unsigned letters and letters without city of residence will not be published. Letters should be no longer than 300 words and include a contact telephone number. Submission does not guarantee publication. Email letters to letters@coastnewsgroup.com. Views expressed in letters do not reflect the views of The Coast News Group. placed under the heading, “Keep Leucadia Funky.” Next most were placed under “Save the Canopy.” When Leucadia Blvd. roundabouts were approved we were “sold” on the concept that more sidewalks would be added with the second phase of development, which would include a roundabout at Hygeia, an intersection currently controlled by a (safer) crosswalk and stopsign. This second phase never happened. In fact, it’s ludicrous to have roundabouts so close to a stopsign, yet that’s exactly what’s planned on North 101, with the first roundabout to be built at El Portal, which is near the stopsign at Marchetta. Over a thousand people signed petitions presented to the City through owners of Leucadia Glass and Sub Palace, OPPOS- ING five roundabouts and lane reduction. Residents and commuters don’t want gridlock, cut-through traffic, and slowed emergency response times. We do want walkability and beautification, as in Solana Beach! Lynn Marr, Leucadia P.O. Box 232550, Encinitas, CA 92023-2550 • 760-436-9737 www.thecoastnews.com • Fax: 760-943-0850 MAKING WAVES IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD EDITOR AND PUBLISHER JIM KYDD MANAGING EDITOR TONY CAGALA ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER CHRIS KYDD ACCOUNTING BECKY ROLAND COMMUNITY NEWS EDITOR JEAN GILLETTE GRAPHIC ARTIST PHYLLIS MITCHELL PRODUCTION EDITOR CHUCK STEINMAN CLASSIFIED SALES NANCY HENLEY ADVERTISING SALES KRISTA LAFFERTY SUSAN ADAMS LISA KRUSE CIRCULATION MANAGER BRET WISE CHRISTINA MACONE-GREENE cmaconegrenne@coastnewsgroup.com BIANCA KAPLANEK bkaplanek@coastnewsgroup.com WEHTAHNAH TUCKER wtucker@coastnewsgroup.com PROMISE YEE pyee@coastnewsgroup.com PATTY MCCORMAC pmccormac@coastnewsgroup.com JARED WHITLOCK jwhitlock@coastnewsgroup.com The Coast News is a legally adjudicated newspaper published weekly on Fridays by The Coast News Group. It is qualified to publish notices required by law to be published in a newspaper of general circulation (Case No. 677114). Subscriptions: 1 year/$35; 6 mos./$26; 3 mos./$21 Send check or money order to: The Coast News, P.O. Box 232550, Encinitas, CA 92023-2550. In addition to mail subscriptions, more than 30,000 copies are distributed to approximately 700 locations in the beach communities from Oceanside to Carmel Valley. The advertising deadline is the Monday preceding the Friday of publication. Editorial deadline is the Friday proceeding publication. Contributing writers PHOTOGRAPHER TURN TO COMMENTARY ON A17 DANIEL KNIGHTON dan@pixelperfectimages.net PHOTOGRAPHER BILL REILLY info@billreillyphotography.com Contact the Editor TONY CAGALA tcagala@coastnewsgroup.com INDEPENDENT FREE PAPERS OF AMERICA
JULY 13, 2012 By Bianca Kaplanek VISTA — While their wine may need only a year to improve, Alan and Brian Haghighi have created a business that, like its owners, appears destined to get better with age. Three years after cofounding the California Fruit Wine Company, the 25-yearold twins expect to sell about 2,000 cases of wine, more than triple their sales in the first two years combined. Acknowledging all wine is technically made from fruit, the local oenologists produce their product using almost everything but grapes, including plums, pumpkins, apples and strawberries. But this is not your parents’ Boone’s Farm. “Every single person who expects our wine to taste like Boone’s Farm says, ‘Never mind. This quality is way higher,’” Brian said. “This is wine. It’s serious.’” While attending Rancho Buena Vista High School, Brian excelled in science, scoring a perfect five on the advanced placement chemistry test. But after graduation in 2005 he headed east to study political science at Colgate University in upstate New York. “I didn’t want to be in a lab,” he said. “I’m so much more of a social person.” Alan stayed in San Diego, gaining experience in the hospitality industry and working on projects with his father, an unsuccessful inventor. When Brian returned to North County after finishing college in 2009, he and Alan began “looking for the next thing that would end up being a business.” “We always knew we would make a good team because we challenge each other,” Brian said. “We don’t ever agree on anything, which is good.” That summer they were introduced to fruit wine by a couple making it as a hobby. “The wine itself wasn’t amazing but the concept definitely was,” Brian said. “I’d never heard of it so it piqued my interest. “The next time I went to the grocery store I went down the wine aisle looking for a fruit wine of some sort,” he said. “I didn’t find any so this was kind of interesting to me, the entrepreneurial thinker.” The foursome briefly went into business together. “The unfortunate thing about any relationship, whether it’s dating or otherwise, is you don’t know a lot of things about the person until you’re knee deep,” Brian said. “We realized they really didn’t know what they were doing as far as the technical aspects of making wine. “After about eight months or a year, in the interest of both parties, we ended up going our own ways, which was a good development,” he said. Their partners moved to Northern California. But the brothers continued to pursue the business, with Alan working to raise capital and Brian researching laws, securing licenses, developing a business plan and finding their first production location — a small space in Oceanside with a $300 monthly rent. While Alan is currently the primary winemaker, they both worked on perfecting the product in the early days, although neither had any formal training in oenology. “We went through a process of self-education, which included the Internet,” Brian said. “We also contacted other local winemakers. “But the biggest teacher is, of course, trial and error,” he said. “Just like any disci- pline, you will learn much more quickly by doing it. “For two and a half years we’ve been dedicated to understanding how to make wine — the intricacies of it,” Brian said. “It’s not just a knowledge we got from reading a book or tasting it. We began to understand what’s contributing to this characteristic or that characteristic. “It’s like a relationship with your dog,” he said. “Eventually you know how your dog is going to behave. You learn to know how the yeast is going to behave. It comes from experience. Certain smells will determine whether to add a little more of a certain ingredient. It’s chemistry meets the chef.” Initially the brothers sold their fruit wine exclusively at street fairs. Sales were successful, despite licensing laws that precluded them from allowing tastings. With about $12,500 Alan saved while working as a valet at La Costa Resort and Spa and a loan from their mother, who was skeptical at first, Alan and Brian moved into their current location in a Vista business park in October 2011. Although their new rent is 10 times higher, frugality has made it work. “Everything for us was penny pinching, bargain shopping, Craigslist, classified ads — just making it work,” Brian said. “Most of THE COAST NEWS Young oenologists find they’re getting better with age California Fruit Wine owners Alan Hahighi (left) and brother Brian sample some Strawberry Stiletto at their Vista tasting bar and production facility. Photo by Bianca Kaplanek Oceanside celebrates with beer festival OCEANSIDE — Hosted by Oceanside's Breakwater Brewing Company to note its fourth anniversary, a beer festival featuring countywide craft beer will be held from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. July 21 at the Oceanside Junior Seau Beach Amphitheater, 200 N the Strand near the pier. Guests will enjoy award-winning craft brew, music from local bands, eats from local food vendors and spectacular ocean views. Tickets are $30 and include a commemorative glass and 10 four-ounce tasters from beer companies including Ballast Point, Coronado, Pizza Port, Green Flash, Manzanita, Stone, Karl Straus, Latitude 33, Lost Abbey, Iron Fist, OAW and Breakwater Brewery. Guests will also have access to local food booths provided by Main Street Oceanside’s Sunset Market. A limited number of VIP tickets will be sold for $45 and include a VIP tasting session from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., festival T-shirt, commemorative glass, 10 four-ounce tasters and appetizers from Breakwater Brewery's kitchen. Radio station 94.9FM is sponsoring the festival entertainment, which will include performances by local bands including Oceanside’s The Barnwell Shift, Maren Parusel, Hills Like Elephants, The Beautiful View, Gone Baby Gone and Scott Mathiasen. Tickets can be purchased at breakwaterbrewing.com or at ticketderby.com. Since the amphitheater is a short two blocks from the Oceanside transit center, guests are encouraged to ride the Coaster or Metrolink to the event. Throughout the summer season, Metrolink is offering $10 weekend pass for unlimited travel throughout its system. “San Diego is a hotbed for some of the best craft beer in the country,” said Billy Sager, bar manager/event coordinator at Breakwater Brewery. “What better way to celebrate our anniversary than by bringing together our local talent and celebrating the success of our region.” the equipment we got on a shoestring.” They bought office furniture as a package from a storage facility for $800 and sold the excess pieces for a $1,000 profit.They recently acquired a walk-in cooler for free off Craigslist. Their new 4,500-squarefoot production facility now includes a tasting room that features Wine Down Wednesday, Foodie Friday with varying food trucks, Sa”tour”day and Sangria Sunday. Brian said the main difference between fruit wine and its more traditional counterpart is that their product isn’t aged in wood. Inquiries: 800-872-6467 Deborah Solon, Ext. 1843 DeborahS@HA.com It’s currently fermented in high-density, food-grade polyethylene plastic because it’s inexpensive. “We will graduate to stainless steel once we secure financing,” Brian said. Alan said the reaction to fruit wine can be summed up in three categories of people. “There are the traditional wine drinkers, who run for their lives,” he said. “There’s another 5 percent who only like super sweet wine. “They come in loving the idea but it’s not sweet enough for them,” he said. “The other 80 percent are hesitant at first but they like it once they try it.” Surprisingly, the wine isn’t as sweet as one would expect. In fact, Brian said Carolyn Mani, Ext. 1677 CarolynM@HA.com A5 they add “hundreds of pounds of sugar” in the winemaking process. While the brothers are fast becoming accomplished winemakers, they seem more intent on being known as trendsetters. “It’s not so much that we make fruit wine so please buy it,” Alan said. “It’s more, the reason we make fruit wine is the spirit of innovation that’s inside of us.” “But as with any innovative idea there’s always a huge concern about whether this is a good idea,” Brian said. “It hasn’t been done. It hasn’t been tested. And you have to figure out why. “So here we are, three years into it, and what we’ve concluded is that we’re on to something.” A RETAIL COLLECTIVE CONSCIOUSNESS OF NON-CONFORMING-NEVER-GROW- UP-WEIRDOS.NEW &VINTAGE APPAREL, RETRO SURFBOARDS, VINTAGE MOTORCYCLES AND BONSAI TREES 1144 HWY. 101, LEUCADIA, CA 92024 Pair of Sevres Style Porcelain Urns and Covers with Gilt Bronze Mounts Painted with Cherubic Scenes by Charles Fuchs France, circa 1895, 38 in. high Sold for $65,725 HA.com/5078*86496 Heritage Auctions will be in the San Diego area from July 26-28 meeting with clients to discuss potential consignments. To make an appointment, please e-mail the following information: of markings/signatures information that could serve to establish value Annual Sales Exceed $800 Million 700,000+ Online Bidder-Members 9478 West Olympic Blvd. Beverly Hills, CA 90212 310-492-8600 HA.com DALLAS NEW YORK BEVERLY HILLS SAN FRANCISCO PARIS GENEVA TX & NY Auctioneer license: Samuel Foose 11727 & 0952360. Heritage Auction Galleries CA Bond #RSB2004175; CA Auctioneer Bond: Carolyn Mani #RSB2005661. Buyer’s Premium 12%-25%. See HA.com for details. 24575
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The Coast News, July 13, 2012

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